New Guard

Claremont Academy

Despite its colorful history and resulting tragedies, Claremont Academy is a beautiful campus set atop the hill of Bayview Heights with nary a visible blemish from its past. Surrounding the school grounds are a light smattering of woods with beech, birch, and oak trees. A short ways away from the walled academy is the scenic South Bay Road.

The campus itself is carefully manicured and always green when the season calls for it. Paths and driveways curve gently and seem to meander through the property, but that’s more a testament to the skill of the landscapers. There are enough trees to soften the terrain without blocking the sight-lines, but they also lend a sense of age to the already venerable-looking brownstones. The campus looks like a well-maintained slice of 19th Century life, but the truth is, it’s a convincing mock-up of the campus that Dr. Charles Claremont envisioned, with some extra touches in the way of modern amenities.

The school is divided into three main areas. The first is the school proper with its chateau-style buildings surrounding the main quad on all four sides. Behind it is the second area upon which sits the gardens, three dormitories, and the Administrative Building. Behind that is the third area, a large open field with its tree groves and open green spaces for playing touch football, Frisbee, or just sitting and relaxing. Beyond that lie the baseball diamond and the Academy’s swimming pool.

Inside the buildings, the same attention to detail and decor remains. The walls are half-paneled using maple and cherry woods, while the floors are made in the rustic style with maple floorboards. Carved plaster ceilings adorn some hallways and rooms, while various paintings hang from walls. Some of the windows are etched, while brass and copper trimmings and fittings can be found throughout the buildings.

The school grounds and the building interiors look very much like the touches on old five-star hotels. That’s not to say there isn’t space for the modern touches, but Duncan Summers ensured that they were relatively hidden in comparison to the decor. The multi-story buildings contain elevators, and all the buildings are fully wheelchair accessible for teachers like Gabriel Marquez and certain students.